Summary
A pilot to initially train 20 women to use of a biosand filter for their own households, and then recruit and train other women in the community, as an income generating micro business enterprise.
Background
In Nigeria, Plateau State, Bokkos community where OCEAN intends to implement this project, access to clean and safe water still remains a critical challenge to every day life. Indeed, to many village communities and even urban centers safe water is the difference between life and death. Several of the community water sources are rivers, hand dug wells and streams. These uncertain sources of water supply have resulted in outbreaks of water borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery. For instance in 2004, OCEAN FOUNDATION conducted a baseline survey on gender assessment in some rural-urban centers in need of water for the Plateau State Government. Findings of this study showed that there is a relationship between ill health in the communities and their sources of water. Similarly, a study conducted by Ezeji, (2005) on rapid gender assessment of the water situation in Jos, Plateau State for the United Nations Habitat Water for Africa cities, WAC II discovered that several people in the communities under study fall sick due to their contaminated drinking water sources. This study discovered that intestinal illness affects children most, this is characterized by stomach pain, diarrhea, and dehydration and has led to several deaths due to the contaminated water these children drink. About 50% of children in the community studied under age 5 die every year from effects of drinking water. While 30% of the people including women are without access to sanitation and 80% of illness detected in the community originated from their water sources (Ezeji, 2005). Most importantly, Bokkos has experienced an outbreak of cholera which was directly linked to one of the water sources (a dam) in the community. This has led to several deaths within the community as well as productive man hours lost due to ill health. This project if implemented in Bokkos Local Government will significantly reduce the incidences of water related disease like cholera and diarrhea. The community will benefit from the program because there will be reduced instance of illness, more children will go to school rather than being ill and staying out of school. Members of the community will stay healthy and pursue other productive endeavors such as farming which is the main occupation of the community and trading. The project will also be promoted as an income generating activity for the community members to improve their live hood.
3. What does the project propose to do?
OCEAN intends to train 20 women from Bokkos community on Water, sanitation and h